


The Sweetest Lies are the Bitterest Truths

by sanddrake



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Tentacles, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-24 01:23:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13800402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanddrake/pseuds/sanddrake
Summary: When Pandemonium shudders, instead of Sandalphon discovering an escape from his imprisonment, he receives an unexpected visitor.  It's hard to deny Lucifer when he says everything that Sandalphon wants to hear.  But as the differences begin to pile up, Sandalphon must make a decision between living in fantasy and accepting reality.





	The Sweetest Lies are the Bitterest Truths

There had been no sound, no telltale click as the lock on his cell released, to explain why Sandalphon had woken in that particular instant.  It had been... at least days, perhaps weeks, since the roar had come and shaken the foundations of Pandemonium down to its very bones.  But all he could do in this silent, unchanging place was to think or to slumber, and of the two, slumber was the more appealing.  It made it easy to lose track of time.  He would wake briefly, only to think "Ah, yes, still the same cell," and then let himself fall off the edge and back down into the darkness.  There was no bed and no mats, no furniture of any sort, so he slept sitting up, half propped up in the corner against the bare stone walls.

It had made it all the stranger when he had woken, as usual, with no expectations, to find Lucifer standing near the door.  At first, he had thought he might have started dreaming.  He should have been woken by the noise of the cell opening.  Lucifer couldn't have teleported in; the cells didn't work that way.  But as it sank in that he was awake, as far as he could tell, he sat up with a jerk and then scrambled to his feet.

In retrospect, he couldn't explain why he had done it.  Lucifer hardly deserved his respect at this point.  They were enemies.  Lucifer had put him in here.  Still, there were some shreds left of the awe he had always felt at seeing the Supreme Primarch, and that had driven him to move.  Trying to somehow "take it back" by sitting back down would just make him look even more foolish.  Instead, he narrowed his eyes and tried to fit as much scorn into his voice as he could as he asked, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, Sandalphon," Lucifer said with a sad smile.  "Don't tell me that you didn't notice?"

Why was Lucifer looking at him like it had been the primarch who had been wronged?  That hadn't been the face he wore when Sandalphon and the other angels had rebelled.  That Lucifer had been filled with confidence, with a righteous coldness that recognized no mistakes.  _That_ Lucifer didn't care to hear Sandalphon's reasons for why he did what he did (even though he should have known!), and thought of nothing but pleasing his Astral masters.  _That_ Lucifer didn't have the ability to feel hurt.  And yet, he also didn't have the ability to fake such feelings.  Lucifer was so defined by what he saw as "truth" and "right" that the concept of deceiving someone, even if it was the most effective way to reach his goals, wouldn't even cross his mind.  So why?

"You don't need to say anything.  I can see it in your eyes," Lucifer said.  He shook his head.  "I had thought... but no.  I suppose it was inevitable.  I never gave you a reason to trust me so completely."

The more the primarch talked, the more confusing Sandalphon found the conversation.  A faint tremor in his heart was spinning wild tales of Lucifer finally coming around, of being set free of this cell, of finally taking true revenge on the Astrals.  Yet he quashed it again and again, ruthlessly.  He had entertained such fantasies during the rebellion, and even afterwards, when he had first been thrown into this cell, but he had grown out of delusions as the time had stretched on and on without end.  He should never have expected anything from Lucifer.  Never hoped for anything at all.  The bitterness in his voice came so naturally: it had been well-tended over the hundreds of years he had sat and slept in silence.  "What?  Are you saying you're going to let me out, now?  That I should have expected for you to come for me, _eventually_?"

"No.  I thought you'd realize that I never would have fought against you.  I would have fought beside you, but the Astrals never gave me the chance."  Lucifer sighed.  "They replaced me, when they realized I wouldn't go along with their plans any longer."

"The Lucifer which put down the rebellion... was a copy?"  The tremble had become a full-blown earthquake.  He felt like the entire world was rocking around him.  It was completely infeasible... but if Sandalphon himself had been created as a spare, what would have stopped the Astrals from creating more?  Sandalphon might have been considered an unsuitable replacement for their Supreme Primarch, but they could have improved on the design they had thought nearly perfect, producing a Lucifer which was just a little more pliable than the one they already had.

"Yes.  I was imprisoned here before the rebellion even started.  You must have felt so betrayed."  Slowly at first, then with a little bit more confidence, Lucifer crossed the space between them and placed his hands on Sandalphon's shoulders.  The pain in his eyes matched the pain which Sandalphon had felt when Lucifer -- the fake Lucifer -- had struck him down during the height of the fighting.  Lucifer pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him, and Sandalphon buried his face in Lucifer's shoulder.  This moment was all he had ever wanted, something he had never expected to have, but the circumstances hurt too much for him to feel happy.

"I'm sorry," Sandalphon whispered.  "That I didn't realize."

"Shh," Lucifer said quietly, his breath warm on Sandalphon's ear as he leaned in.  "Let's not talk about that.  I'm simply glad that you believe me."

 

"So, you were imprisoned here, too?  How did you even get out of your cell?" Sandalphon asked after some time had passed.  The two of them sat against the wall across from the door.  They were separated by inches, but Sandalphon was painfully aware of Lucifer's presence.  If the mood struck him, all he would need to do is reach out a hand to touch the other angel.

Lucifer's response interrupted his thoughts, but he sounded distracted as well.  "Hmm?  Oh.  The seal was broken by Bahamut's call.  Didn't you feel it?"

"I did, but I didn't realize..."  Sandalphon looked away from Lucifer and stared at the door.  "You're saying there's a way out?"

"There is.  It took me some time to find it."

"Are you planning to escape, then?"  Sandalphon looked back at Lucifer, expecting to find resolve.  Instead he found hesitation.  "What's wrong?"

"I could leave right now.  But if I did, I'd have to face that other me alone.  I've already failed once.  I was caught off guard the first time, but I don't think that's the only reason I lost."  Lucifer was staring at the cell door, but it was clear that his thoughts were ranging far beyond it.

"You don't have to face him alone."  Sandalphon screwed up his courage and reached out, wrapping his fingers around Lucifer's arm.  "I'll go with you.  Together-"

Lucifer seemed to startle out of his reverie, looking down at Sandalphon with a pained expression.  "No, I don't think that'll work."

"Why not?  I know I can't fight directly against him, but I can help.  If you just distract him, I can take his wings.  Render him powerless.  Please," Sandalphon pleaded, but he could already see that Lucifer wouldn't accept.  "Why won't you let me help?"

Lucifer gave him a faint, short-lived smile.  Then, carefully, but firmly, he untangled Sandalphon's fingers from his arm.  "It wouldn't be a good idea for you to come with me.  I'll find another way."

The deliberate distancing made Sandalphon's fear rise to the surface.  "Are you afraid I'll get in your way?  You never saw me use my powers; believe me, I can disable him, if you just give me the chance."

"I don't trust you."  The words were quiet, but they struck Sandalphon like a blow.  He tried to grab Lucifer's arm again, but Lucifer just grabbed his wrist and held it still.  He struggled, but the angel's grip was like iron around his wrist.

"Why?"  Suddenly he realized, and he sucked in a quick breath.  "Because... because I thought the traitor was you?"  When Lucifer nodded, it only made him fight even harder.  The thought of being shut out after finally finding Lucifer again was nearly unbearable.  "I'm sorry I didn't trust you.  Please, let me make it up to you."

_Don't leave me alone again._   The thought echoed in his mind, but he couldn't voice it.  But the look in Lucifer's eyes was unforgiving.  Even before Lucifer pushed him away and began to stand up, Sandalphon knew he was going to leave.  He grabbed with his other hand and Lucifer simply caught and held that wrist as well.  They stood there, Sandalphon struggling helplessly to reach him, and Lucifer just holding him at arm's length.  "Please," Sandalphon said.

"I shouldn't have come," Lucifer said quietly.

"I'm sorry!"

"If I had known that you thought I'd betrayed you... I wouldn't have come at all."

"I didn't know they could make a copy of you!  I've never seen such a thing before.  How could I have known!"

Lucifer's face was filled with such a depth of sadness that Sandalphon's struggles ceased without him even consciously deciding to stop.  His next words died in his throat, leaving an ache which he couldn't express.

"You should have seen through his deception," Lucifer said.  He let go of Sandalphon's wrists and stepped back, and this time Sandalphon didn't reach for him.  "I'm sorry I gave you hope.  I thought I might be able to let it go, but... You should just forget that I ever came."

Then he turned and left, fading through the door like it was nothing but air.

 

Slumber, so easy to find before Lucifer's visit, suddenly became very elusive.  Sandalphon sat in the corner with his arms hugging his knees to his chest, staring at the door in silence.  It felt like it had been days since Lucifer had left.  Of course, there were no windows in the cells of Pandemonium, no hint of outside light to betray the passage of time.  Seconds blurred into minutes and minutes into hours.  Perhaps much less time had passed than he thought, but it seemed like ages.

It wasn't fair, he told himself, and it wasn't.  Lucifer said that Sandalphon should have realized that the copy wasn't him when it had betrayed Sandalphon's trust.  But then this Lucifer had walked out of the door, leaving Sandalphon alone again.  That was a betrayal too.  A deliberate one.  Lucifer knew that he was hurting Sandalphon when he left, and he didn't care.

And yet, Lucifer had left because he'd felt hurt, too, and the thought of Lucifer hurt made Sandalphon's feelings of righteousness anger sputter out in his chest.  How hadn't he seen through the copy?  Why hadn't he realized that Lucifer would never have that cold, distant look in his eyes when looking at him?  It wasn't fair... but at the same time, it was.  If he had truly trusted Lucifer, he would have realized that the Supreme Primarch who had come to put down the rebellion couldn't possibly have been the angel that he knew.  And Lucifer now knew that Sandalphon thought Lucifer was the sort of angel who would simply throw away someone precious to him without a single qualm.

Sandalphon hugged his legs closer while the thoughts chased each other in circles in his head.  Every time he tried to distract himself or relax, they simply came back.  There was no respite, and every repetition made him feel sicker and sicker at heart.

"Sandalphon."

The voice came from right next to him, and he startled, pressing himself against the wall.  He looked up into Lucifer's face.  The angel was crouched beside him.  Hope blossomed, then fear.  Lucifer wasn't smiling.  He wasn't particularly frowning, either.  If anything, his expression was reserved, as if he was holding his emotions tightly in check.  It wasn't comforting.

"L—Lucifer.  You came back," Sandalphon said.  He tried to be just as restrained, but his voice broke on Lucifer's name.

"I did," Lucifer said, a plain statement of fact.  His voice gentled just slightly as he continued.  "I thought that perhaps I ought to give you a chance to redeem yourself."

All the frustration he had with Lucifer's unfairness came bubbling to the surface, threatening to spill out.  He looked down, trying to hide it from the other angel.  If he spoke up now, Lucifer would just leave.  The possibility of experiencing that pain again overrode all his other concerns.  He clamped his lips tightly shut until the urge to argue had passed, then let out a short breath, testing his resolve.  Then he looked back up at Lucifer.  "A chance?"

"Yes.  A chance.  If you're going to fight alongside me, I need to know that you trust me completely.  Then I can put my trust in you."  Lucifer placed a hand on Sandalphon's cheek, gazing directly into his face.  Lucifer's blue eyes were earnest and serious.  "We have some time before they realize what has happened.  We can try to build that trust together."

The feel of Lucifer's fingers on his cheek and the closeness of his face made it hard to think straight.  It was unusual.  Lucifer had always maintained a bit of distance.  There had been warmth in their conversations, but it had never gone beyond that.  Sandalphon had hoped for an apology, but maybe this was one of a sort.  "What do you need me to do?" he asked, finally.

Lucifer let his hand drop to the top of his legs and smiled gently.  "What do you really want, Sandalphon?"

The question caught him off-guard, and he hesitated for a moment.  But the answer was obvious, wasn't it?  "I just want to be useful to you."

Lucifer's eyes widened slightly in surprise, though he must have heard it a thousand times in the lab, when Sandalphon had asked him about his purpose.  Perhaps he had expected it to change after everything that had happened.  "Just that?  Not because you want something from me?"

_I need you to let me stay by your side_ , Sandalphon thought.  _I have to have a reason to be with you.  If I'm useless, eventually you'll get rid of me._   What the Astral researcher had said had only driven that point home.  Useless things didn't get what they wanted.  But he couldn't say any of that.  The words felt locked in his chest.  He looked downward, desperate to avoid Lucifer's searching gaze.

"This is one of the things we'll need to discuss later," Lucifer said, but there was a hint of humor in his voice.  "I'll take you at your word, for now.  Look at me, Sandalphon.  What I am going to say next is very important."

Sandalphon lifted his gaze again, hesitantly.  He didn't like the seriousness of Lucifer's voice.

"From now on, I need you to obey me completely and without question.  Do you understand?"

He didn't understand.  It seemed so counter to everything the rebellion had stood for.  That was what the Astrals had wanted: mindless machines.  He almost shook his head, but knew that Lucifer would take that as denying his demand.  _Why?_   The question hung in the air between them, unvoiced.

Lucifer sighed heavily and knelt next to him, then pulled Sandalphon into an embrace, wrapping his arms around him.  Sandalphon stiffened at the unexpected contact, but relaxed when it was clear Lucifer was just going to hold him.  He let his head rest on Lucifer's chest.

This was all he had ever wanted.  The thought of losing it made his breath hitch.  It was, essentially, a matter of trust.  Lucifer was demanding his trust, immediately and without reservation.  Trust that Lucifer wouldn't abuse the privilege.  Trust that Lucifer would use him well.

He had to fight with himself to even breathe.  It took several tries where he simply moved his lips and nothing would come out.  But eventually, finally, with his voice barely above a whisper, he said, "I understand."

Lucifer stroked his hair.  "Good."

 

Sandalphon sat next to the door, staring at it intently.  He'd seen Lucifer appear and disappear near it several times now, but he still couldn't work out the trick.  Shortly after the roar had come, Sandalphon had investigated his prison as carefully as he could manage and found nothing.  Even now, he couldn't find a single chink or crack either in the door or near it.  He stood up and crossed his arms dubiously, his gaze flicking over the stone wall.  It hadn't changed since the day he'd been thrown into the cell.  Lucifer had said that he could show Sandalphon the way out, but future promises didn't soothe Sandalphon's curiosity one bit.  And he couldn't ask.

The promise still bothered him, but Lucifer had not yet given him a single order.  It could have been intended for the future, when they were fighting together, he reflected.  Soldiers had to follow orders, after all.  In the heat of battle, a commander couldn't rely on every individual making their own decisions.  But the promise he'd been asked for had seemed like it had held more weight than that.  Lucifer had talked of building trust.  Trust had to be tested before it could be relied on.

He turned away from the door with a sigh.  Lucifer had been gone for hours, off doing something which he said was important to his future plans.  He'd promised to be back "soon", but Sandalphon was beginning to wonder if their definitions of that word differed.  Sleep was always a possibility.  Surely Lucifer would wake him when he returned.  But Sandalphon felt a tiny lingering fear that he might not.

The hand on his shoulder nearly startled him out of his skin.  He turned to find Lucifer standing behind him with a smile.  _Of course_ , Sandalphon thought.  _Who else would it be?_   He managed to work up a smile in return, though he wished he'd caught Lucifer coming in.  "How did your preparations go?" he asked.

"Good.  I found some very interesting papers in an abandoned room.  I'm not sure if they'll be relevant to my needs, but they answered some questions which have been bothering me for a long time."

"That's... good, then."  He waited for a moment, but clearly Lucifer was not going to say anything more on the subject.  Apparently, this was something else which would have to wait for later.

"We're going to do a little exercise today," Lucifer said.  "Though... while I say exercise, it does have another purpose.  Take off your clothes for me."

The order was delivered so casually that for a moment Sandalphon didn't realize what he had said.  It seemed so out of place and so strange.  That was something... the scientists had demanded many times.  He hadn't usually liked what had happened afterwards.  _This is Lucifer_ , he told himself.  _It will be different._   Still, he hesitated.

A hint of disappointment rose in Lucifer's eyes, and he frowned.  "Sandalphon."

The sound of his name startled Sandalphon into motion.  His fingers trembled a little as he began to disrobe.  Nakedness wasn't particularly unpleasant for an angel in isolation.  Clothing was either used for protective purposes -- armor -- or to satisfy social norms.  Apparently, humans and Astrals needed clothing for warmth and protection.  Angels were made differently.  It was only the association with the researchers' tests which made the idea unpleasant.  But that association existed, and every moment was a fight not to ask a question or to protest.  Lucifer needed his trust.  This was part of that.  The pain the scientists had inflicted as part of their tests had nothing to do with this.  It was completely different.  He just wished he could understand why Lucifer needed this.

Lucifer watched, patiently, until he was finished.  Then he approached to within an arm's length, studying Sandalphon's body intensely.  This, too, was uncomfortably close to the experiences he'd had with the researchers.  However, instead of protesting, he simply clenched his hands at his sides and tried to endure.

"Do you really find this so uncomfortable?" Lucifer asked, suddenly.

"It makes me think of things I don't want to remember."

Lucifer reached out a hand and stroked Sandalphon's arm.  "I'll need to hear it from you eventually."

It was vaguely phrased enough to not qualify as an order.  "Not now.  Please."  He hated the way his voice rose as he spoke, but the thought of doing it right then, under those conditions, made his stomach turn.  He glanced at Lucifer's face, fearing rejection.  But Lucifer just smiled a little and circled around behind him.

"The craftsmanship is... incredible," Lucifer commented.

Sandalphon laughed, a short, halting breath.  "Complimenting yourself?  What are you comparing me to?"

Lucifer was quiet for a moment, and Sandalphon looked over his shoulder.  For a second he thought there was a strange expression on Lucifer's face, but then Lucifer was smiling at him.  "Compared to all the others I've created.  But I'm a little surprised," he said, walking up behind Sandalphon and placing his hands on Sandalphon's upper arms.  "I thought they might have... changed you."

"Changed me?"  Sandalphon tried to turn, but Lucifer's hands held him still. 

"Yes," Lucifer said, with a sigh.  His hands slid up to Sandalphon's shoulders and he pushed him down, gently, but firmly.  "Not now."

As Sandalphon's knees hit the floor, images flashed through his mind.  The stone was close enough to the metal tables that the feel of it against his skin made his muscles stiffen.  He craned his neck to look at Lucifer for reassurance, but the expression on Lucifer's face had hardened subtly.  It sent chills up his spine.  His heartbeat raced in his chest.  Lucifer crouched down and pressed him forward, forcing him to lie down.  He knew he shouldn't, but he fought against it the entire way, until his chest was pressed against the stone and his short, sharp breaths seemed to barely have space to fill his lungs.  "Lucifer," he said, pleading for an explanation or a reprieve.

"I told you this was an exercise, didn't I?" Lucifer said, leaning down so his mouth was close to Sandalphon's ear.  "You hesitated.  I thought you trusted me?"

"I do!  I just-"

"And then you fought me, just now."

Sandalphon hesitated.  Even now he wanted to fight.  He almost couldn't be sure that he wasn't fighting, that somewhere underneath the fear he felt that his muscles weren't straining against Lucifer's grip.  He closed his eyes tightly.  "I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"The only way we learn from our transgressions is if we're punished for them," Lucifer said quietly.  "Do you understand that?"

"You're scaring me.  Please..."

"Shhh."  One of Lucifer's hands stroked down from his shoulder along his spine, before settling on his lower back.  "This is your first mistake since we made our agreement.  I'll be merciful."

Some of the tension left Sandalphon's muscles.  Lucifer would forgive him.  He'd just have to be more careful in the future, and...

The hand which Lucifer had left on his shoulder suddenly shifted, the fingers moving closed to his neck.  At the last second, he realized that there was something wrong, but he didn't realize in time to prepare himself as Lucifer did... something... which sent pain down his shoulder and back.  He writhed in pain, but Lucifer's hand on his lower back held him down and his struggles were in vain.  A yell escaped him.  He clenched his teeth and tried to hold it back, but the pain just seemed to grow and grow.

When it finally stopped, he was left gasping on the stone floor.  Lucifer's hands were gone.  His eyes were burning, and his cheeks itched.  Somewhere along the way he must have cried.  He struggled to swallow through a swollen throat and rolled over onto his back.  He didn't want to open his eyes, didn't want to see that look on Lucifer's face again, so close to that false Lucifer who had judged him at the end of the rebellion.  The other possibility, that Lucifer was already gone, leaving him there after inflicting such pain on him, he didn't want that either.  So, he opened his eyes with trepidation, only to find Lucifer kneeling next to him.  Lucifer's eyes were sad, but his solemn expression was gentle.  It was a relief, but Sandalphon still closed his eyes again and turned his head away.

When Lucifer touched him again, he tensed.  However, all Lucifer did was pull Sandalphon's upper body up on top of his knees.  He lightly placed a hand on Sandalphon's forehead, then stroked his hair.

"You hurt me," Sandalphon said.  It came out more accusatory than he had intended.

Lucifer's hand stilled.  "I _punished_ you," he said.  "We had an agreement, and you didn't hold up your part of it.  The scales had to be balanced -- and as I said, you had to learn from your mistake."

"But it _hurt_."  Sandalphon heard the whine in his own voice and internally winced.

"Pain can be the best incentive.  You must understand that I am serious, Sandalphon.  If you don't believe you can do this... I can leave."

That made Sandalphon open his eyes again.  Lucifer met his gaze evenly, not pushing him one way or another.  If anything, that made the concept of him leaving more terrifying.  If Sandalphon told him to go, he would.  He might not even hesitate.  He'd stressed that he was giving Sandalphon a chance, and if he spurned it... there wouldn't be another.  The idea was intolerable.  "Please.  Stay," Sandalphon said, his voice rough.

Lucifer resumed stroking his hair, gently.  "If you force me to do this again, it will be much worse the next time."

Worse didn't even bear thinking about.  Memories from his time in the labs welled up unbidden.  What Lucifer had done had hurt, but it had been nothing compared to the experiments.  He turned his head, resting his cheek against Lucifer's leg, and quietly resolved not to find out what Lucifer meant.

 

Several days later, they sat side-by-side in Sandalphon's cell.  Sandalphon's head rested on Lucifer's shoulder, and Lucifer's arm was wrapped around him.  Curiosity still ate at Sandalphon as to where Lucifer was going and how he could move in and out of the cell without using the door, but he didn't have the courage to ask.  It was enough just to be where he was.

"What did you not want to remember?" Lucifer asked.

Sandalphon bit his lower lip, but only hesitated a moment.  "The labs."

"The Astral labs?"

Sandalphon nodded stiffly.  "I overheard your conversation that day.  The one about my purpose.  I... I still don't know why you didn't say anything.  Why you just left me to him."  He struggled to keep his voice even, but the memory still hurt.

Lucifer sighed.  "I thought it might be a test, and I couldn't afford to show my hand then.  I didn't realize that he already knew."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Sandalphon continued.  "It was only a few hours later that he came for me.  I fought, but he brought help.  I didn't have much experience with fighting.  When I had time to think, after being put in here, I started wondering whether that was deliberate.  I may have been intended to be your replacement, but I think it was always intended to be temporary, and they didn't want me causing trouble."  Sandalphon looked up at Lucifer.  "I also considered the idea that he was lying about me being a spare, but then you told me that there was another... copy of you."  He laughed mirthlessly.  "I guess you weren't as perfect as he thought."

Lucifer didn't rise to the bait.  "And after they took you away?" he pressed.

Sandalphon shivered.  "Do you really need to hear this?  I really don't want to remember."

"I do," Lucifer said.  His tone was suddenly cooler.

Sandalphon swallowed.  _Worse._   He didn't try to pick his words, and they just spilled out of him as he continued.  "There was an underground part of the labs, a part I guess they hid from you.  They kept us down there... the rejects.  The ones who didn't have a purpose, or the ones who couldn't fulfill their purpose for some reason.  We were still useful.  They needed... angels to test on.  They wanted to know how we broke, so they could make the new angels better."  Sandalphon lifted his hands from his lap and stared at them, remembering the fingers broken and all askew.  He clenched them into fists and rested them on his knees, not wanting to look at them anymore.  "I was the only one of my type down there.  They were... careful with me.  They didn't want to break me too quickly.  Some of what they did to the others was much worse."

Lucifer's hand had moved up to his neck while he spoke, kneading his shoulder where the neck and the shoulder met.  It was likely intended to be comforting, but it was disturbingly close to where Lucifer had dug in his fingers to punish him, and Sandalphon felt his back stiffen in memory.  He glanced at Lucifer's face and found interest mixed with a bit of impatience.

"The rejects, we talked.  Eventually we came up with a plan.  And-"

"I'd like to hear about the experiments.  I think it could be valuable to understand what they were looking for," Lucifer said suddenly, interrupting him.

It was exactly what he didn't want to talk about.  It wasn't a matter of trust or lack thereof; he just didn't want to remember it.  Even talking around it made him think of what had been done to him.  What he had been forced to do to other angels.  His heart fluttered, but his hands weren't trembling.  He felt like they should be.  Restlessly running a thumb over the palm of his other hand, he stared down at his lap and tried again.  "They tested our resistance to different forms of aetheric energy... and our powers, and how they expressed themselves... looking for subtle interactions they hadn't expected..."  He was still talking around it, and he had a terrible feeling that it wasn't enough for Lucifer.

"Sandalphon," Lucifer said with a sigh.  "You know what I want to hear, and you are deliberately avoiding it.  Why do you persist in forcing my hand?  Is it pain that you want from me?  You told me that you wanted to be useful, and yet you refuse to provide me the details I need to know.  I am trying to be patient, but I am reaching my limit.  _Tell me everything_."

Sandalphon closed his eyes.  There it was, the ultimatum.  Why had he even pushed it so hard?  He hadn't been able to get out of it, and he'd upset Lucifer in the bargain.  And yet, even knowing he'd been pushed to a wall, it was still almost impossible to make the words come out.  He dredged up the memory of the first experiment, and just like the day it had happened, the fear came.  It was much worse now than it had been then.  Then he hadn't known what was coming.  He'd still been angry, still felt betrayed by Lucifer's silence.  That had shielded him, but the anger hadn't lasted.  He opened his mouth and his voice trembled as he spoke.  "The first experiment was to determine my resistance to dark aetheric energy.  I heard them say that they had seen unexpectedly negative responses to it from some of the angels.  They strapped me down to the table and attached clips to my hands, so the energy flow would pass across my core.  They started at... I think, five millitherms.  I wasn't able to stay conscious past two therms."

Lucifer rubbed his shoulder gently as he continued to speak.  He remembered more of it than he had thought he did, more than he had ever wanted to.  The researchers had repeated experiments frequently, trying to confirm their results, and they'd talked in surprising detail about what they expected and what they'd found.  Not to him, of course.  It wasn't clear that they even thought he could understand what was happening.  There were things missing, where they'd discussed the results outside of his hearing.  And there were points where he'd simply passed out part way through the experiment and woken up back in his cage, disoriented and confused.

It took hours to go over every experiment he could remember, even summarizing them as best he could.  Occasionally Lucifer would ask for more detail, and he'd struggle to remember exact numbers, or fill in pieces which had been missing from his original explanation.  He talked about the energy tests, the substance response tests, the physical stress tests, and eventually, the powers tests.  How he'd taken other angels' wings and watched as the scientists tried to determine how the loss of their powers changed their other abilities.  How they'd determined that he couldn't hold onto the power when knocked unconscious, or if the source angel was completely incapacitated.

Many of the other angels had hated and feared him for what he'd been a part of.  They hadn't seen what had happened when he'd tried to resist.  Even after he'd rebelled alongside the rest of them, some of them had still treated him as barely better than the Astrals.  And in the wake of that, sometimes he'd hated the other rebels just as much as it had seemed like they hated him.  That hatred had dulled over the intervening years.  Sandalphon had reserved the worst of those dwindling embers for the Astrals and Lucifer.

Eventually he ran out of words and details, and Lucifer asked no more questions.  He felt empty, as if the words had spooled out his very identity along with the memories, and now all of it was simply disappearing into the air.  Silence filled the room, and he almost forgot Lucifer was beside him.  Lucifer's presence was such a recent thing.  He had spent so much time alone.

"I understand that was difficult for you," Lucifer said, finally breaking the silence.  "And it was... very useful.  I'll forgive your lapse this time."

It was strange, because Sandalphon almost felt like nothing could have hurt him in that moment, even that nebulous "worse".  But he nodded and said, "Thank you."  It felt like the right thing to say.  It felt like what Lucifer expected him to say.

 

"Come here, quickly."

Sandalphon jerked out of a restless slumber at the sound of Lucifer's voice.  A faint whiff of seared flesh lingered in his nostrils from a particularly bad memory, but it quickly faded as he came to full wakefulness.  Lucifer stood in the door, which was... open?  Sandalphon quickly got to his feet, stumbling slightly as his haste exceeded his balance.  Lucifer was letting him out.  Had he passed the tests?  Was it finally time for them to leave together?  The excitement welled up in his voice as he asked, "Where are we going?"

Lucifer seemed surprised, then gave him a pained smile.  "Not far.  I have a task I need you to perform for me."

_Another test, then._   Sandalphon tried to hold back his disappointment as he passed by Lucifer and out into the corridor.  There was something odd about it, something which was counter to his memory.  A faint metallic tang in the air.  _Blood?_   He glanced at Lucifer, but the former Supreme Primarch was obviously unharmed.  It must have simply been a lingering memory from the dream.

The magical lights every several strides were dim, but steady.  Doors lined the corridor, but all of them were closed.  They had been open when he had passed through here last.  Now... there must be a rebel angel behind each of them.  He couldn't tell from the outside.  The cells were effectively soundproof, and they were tuned to suppress the powers of the angels held within.  Which reminded him...

As he summoned his wings, the familiar weight on his shoulders was a blessed relief.  He stretched them out as far as he could.  The walls restricted him; he could only extend them about halfway before the tips of the feathers brushed the stone.  But it was still freedom, and he cherished it.  With a causal thought he summoned a bit of light to his hands.  It banished the shadows around him, drawing the stones in sharp relief.  The mortar between them glistened.

"Are you finished?"  Lucifer sounded irritated, and Sandalphon quickly folded his wings and banished the light, embarrassed.  It was hardly a good start to his first excursion.

"I'm sorry," he said as he turned.

Lucifer strode past him, gesturing for him to follow.  They passed by at least ten doors before Lucifer stopped next to one exactly like all the others.  He pressed his hand to the door plate and it swung open.  It struck Sandalphon as strange, and he suddenly realized that he'd never actually seen Lucifer open a door before that day.  Instead he'd seemed to... bypass it, somehow.  Had the doors been locked in some way Lucifer couldn't open, and he'd only just found a key?  It had seemed like just a matter of placing his hand on the plate, but...

Lucifer was staring at him.  He flushed and strode past him into the room.  An angel was lying curled up in the center of the floor, unconscious.  It wasn't slumber, but she was hurt.  Looking carefully, he could see evidence of burns on her skin from some sort of energy discharge.  They would heal in time -- thankfully, the rooms only slowed an angel's fast healing, they didn't completely disable it -- but what had happened to her?  She wasn't one of the rebel angels he knew well, though she had never treated him poorly, either.  He glanced at Lucifer as the former Supreme Primarch walked to the side of the angel and looked down at her.

"Take her powers."

Sandalphon blinked, startled.  He looked down at the unconscious angel, then at Lucifer, then back to her.  The order was obvious, though.  He walked quickly to her side and crouched down.  Her clothing was burned as well, and Sandalphon breathed through his mouth, trying to smell as little of it as possible.  Even so, unpleasant images flashed through his mind.  He clenched his teeth and reached out his hand, laying it delicately on her side.  The blisters were weeping.  He nearly jerked his hand away as he felt the wetness against his fingers.  _I've dealt with worse_ , he told himself.  A deep breath through his mouth steadied him, and his fingers dipped below her skin, reaching for her core.

As soon as he touched it, she moaned and twisted, trying to escape his grip.  His fingers closed around the warm heart and he pulled.  It always felt like he was going to rip the core right out whenever he did it, but ultimately, all that came away was the power.  He hardened his heart to her cries as his hand emerged, a tiny star resting in his palm.  She abruptly fell limp and silent.  The star in his hand dimmed and faded quickly as the power passed through his skin and into him.  He sat back on his heels and looked up at Lucifer, who was staring down at the two of them with a peculiar intensity.

"Do you want me to return it to her?" Sandalphon asked hesitantly.

"Keep it," Lucifer replied, shortly.

Sandalphon looked back at the angel -- Riel, was her name.  She was specialized for combat, but there had been something about her personality which had gotten her rejected.  Without her power she'd heal even more slowly.  It could be years before she fully recovered.  "But... she's hurt."

"Sandalphon," Lucifer said, warning clear in his tone.

Sandalphon quailed, but stood slowly.  He met Lucifer's gaze head-on at first, but he couldn't face those blue eyes directly.  Not while contradicting him.  His gaze drifted downwards.  "It's not enough to matter in a fight against the fake Lucifer.  I don't need her abilities.  She's not that strong."

Lucifer crossed the couple of feet between them in a single step and grabbed Sandalphon's wrist hard enough to hurt.  "She is a traitor," he said, evenly.  "When I tried to let her out, even after I explained the situation, she attacked me.  After all the time in here, all she wanted was to curry favor with the Astrals.  I was forced to defend myself... and now, you want me to explain myself to you?"

"I didn't know."  It was just an excuse.  Lucifer's fingers tightened, twisting the bones in his wrist further.  He knew he shouldn't say anymore, but the words came out in a whisper.  "She was one of us.  It was probably just confusion... surely we could just leave her in here until we've won..."

The chill in Lucifer's gaze seemed to penetrate deep inside Sandalphon's bones.  They stood there in silence for a few moments, and then Lucifer's expression suddenly turned to one of deep disappointment.  "I was too kind with you."

_Worse_.  "I..."

Before he could even explain himself further, Lucifer dragged him out of the room and back down the hall.  His thoughts raced; he couldn't seem to turn them into sense.  Had this just been a test?  It seemed pointless to steal the powers of an angel like Riel, and Lucifer knew everything about his abilities.  But Lucifer seemed almost... rattled by his questions.  Why not lead with that explanation, that Riel was a traitor?  Was the requirement for absolute trust so important to him?  Lucifer had always been reserved, but this complete secrecy was beyond that.  What had happened when he had been replaced?

When they arrived at the open door, Lucifer nearly threw him inside the cell.  His wings faded from his back as he passed the threshold and his powers left him once more.  He stumbled, but turned around as soon as he had his footing, suddenly reluctant to let Lucifer stand at his back.  Words burst from him on the rising tide of his frustration, and a hint of fear.  "I don't want to argue with you -- I just want to understand!"

"I've told you, again and again, that I need your absolute trust.  That I need you to obey me without question."  Lucifer shook his head and pulled the door shut behind him as he stepped fully into the cell.  "I had hoped that our earlier lesson would be sufficient.  I regret... that I must do this again."

"Don't," Sandalphon whispered.

Lucifer bore down on him, and he found himself retreating until his back was against the wall.  There was a faint tingling in his hands, and he suddenly realized he was calling the light to him.  It shouldn't work in the cell... no, these were Riel's powers.  They were so weak.  Even if he struck against Lucifer with them, they'd do nothing.  If he had even wanted to fight.  He clenched his fists and dismissed the light, hoping it had gone unnoticed.  If questions had driven Lucifer to such anger, what would calling powers against him do?

Lucifer reached out and pinned him against the wall by one shoulder.  With his other hand he took hold of Sandalphon's shirt and ripped it from neck to hem.  It seemed utterly unnecessary, and Sandalphon stared at him with widened eyes.  Then Lucifer took a step back, letting him go.  "Take it off.  All of it."

Sandalphon's eyes strayed to the door, and he thought again about trying to wield Riel's powers.  But no; those options were closed to him.  Instead he shouldered his way out of the ripped shirt, then slid the pants down his legs and stepped out of them.  To the side.  In that moment, he didn't want to get any closer to Lucifer than he had to.

Lucifer stalked over and grabbed the shirt off the floor, twisting it into a tube of cloth.  Then he shoved Sandalphon's shoulder, forcing him to turn away, and tied the cloth over his eyes.  The deprivation of sight was sudden and terrifying.  Lucifer stepped in closer, and placed his fingers on the back of Sandalphon's neck.  Then he... laughed, briefly.

"Still 'off', hmm?" he said, so quietly that Sandalphon could barely hear him.  Sandalphon's wrists were grabbed and pulled behind him, first to the center of the back and then up to nearly between his shoulder blades.  He gasped as his shoulder joints protested the rough treatment, but Lucifer's grip was unyielding.  An arm wrapped around his chest ensured he couldn't move to ease the strain.  His legs were abruptly kicked out of under him and the pain increased as his shoulders were twisted out of joint trying to support his weight.  He cried out, but Lucifer just lowered him to his knees, slowly.

"Are you sorry, Sandalphon?"

The question seemed to come out of nowhere.  _Was_ he sorry?  He didn't want this, whatever Lucifer was doing or planning to do to him.  But when he thought of Riel on the ground, it all became muddy.  If he had just had an explanation, a reason for why it had to be done, he could have done Lucifer's will with a calm heart.  Maybe blind trust was just impossible for him.  Perhaps that was why he had been rejected.  If he hadn't eavesdropped on Lucifer's conversation with the Astral researcher, would he have been happier, never knowing his purpose?

His silence had apparently gone on too long.  Lucifer sighed.  "Why do you give me no choice but to do this to you?"

"You... don't have to.  We can talk.  I want to be useful to you, Lucifer.  Please, let me..."

Lucifer pushed him down.  Instead of the stone floor, his stomach and chest found cloth over flesh.  He'd been laid over Lucifer's legs.  His chin grazed the stone.  The arm around his chest was removed and then replaced against the back of his neck.  The hand on his wrists still held him prone and his arms pinned.  His breath came in short gasps.  He had no idea what to expect.  Lucifer's behavior gave him no clue.

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around each of his ankles.  Whatever it was, it was warm, fleshy, and a little slimy to the touch.  He tried to pull away, but whatever it was just wrapped itself halfway up his calves and then tugged hard.  His knees were pulled out of under him and his legs were spread open.  "Lucifer," he said, his voice higher with his fear.  There was one hand on his wrists and one on his neck, and aside from that, whatever was touching him didn't feel much like hands, either.  Blindfolded, he couldn't even crane his head to look at it.

"Shh," Lucifer hushed him, which wasn't a relief at all.  "Remember, this is a lesson."

Sandalphon opened his mouth to protest, but something very similar to whatever was around his ankles slipped into his mouth before he could get the first syllable out.  It twisted and seemed to fill his mouth, stretching from his tongue to his palate.  If he tried to close his mouth it gave slightly, but it was hard enough to keep his mouth wide open.  A piece of it trailed down his tongue toward his throat.  A faint bitter taste glazed the inside of his mouth.  He could breathe around it, but his terror had nearly reached a fever pitch.  Now he tried to struggle, but nothing moved.  He was absolutely helpless.

There were parts of his body which had never seemed to make sense to him.  The angels had been made like Astrals, but he couldn't understand why angels needed non-functional reproductive and elimination organs.  Now, another one of those slimy things gently prodded at the opening in the crack between his buttocks, then pushed inside of him.  It slid in easily, slowly, relentlessly.  And every moment that it stayed in there, the sensation of wrongness only grew.  He groaned frantically around the thing in his mouth.  His body shuddered with rejection.  His muscles flexed uselessly.  All he could do was arch his back and shift maybe an inch here or there -- not enough to matter, not enough to escape.  The further it went in, the bigger it seemed to get, until he felt spread open in every possible way.  Tears welled in the corners of his eyes and were picked up by the fabric before they could fall down his cheeks.

"You mustn't argue with me, Sandalphon.  All you need to do is what I tell you.  You don't need to know why.  Just what I want you to do.  Is that clear?"  Lucifer's voice was quiet, gentle, completely at odds with what he was doing.

Jerkily, he tried to nod; anything to make it stop.  The things inside of him stilled, wriggled a little, then seemed to settle in place.  Perhaps Lucifer was satisfied.  Maybe he'd given the right answer.  Maybe it was over...

"All you need to do is what I tell you," Lucifer said gently, his hand massaging Sandalphon's neck.

Relief flooded him.  It had to be over.

Then the first shock came.  Pain transfixed him from his stomach to the base of his skull.  His core trembled.  He howled around the thing in his mouth as it felt like acid burned his throat.

"All you need to do is what I tell you," Lucifer said again.

The second shock was worse.  This time he screamed.  It felt like his core was going to shatter.  If he had struggled before, well, now he gave it everything he had.  And it did nothing.  Everything holding him where he was, none of it budged.

Again the repeated words, again the shock, again even worse.  As the pain faded between strikes, he found himself sobbing.  The one thing which caught him, though, was that this sensation was strangely familiar- but it was hard to think as the shocks continued, each one stronger than the last.  Around the fifth... or the sixth... the light which seeped in around the blindfold began to fade.  His core wouldn't stop trembling, and it felt like there were shards of glass all through his chest, cutting him to pieces.  He reached out for unconsciousness with all his might, wanting nothing more than for this to end...

The next one didn't come.  He gasped, drawing in breath after breath as the tears wouldn't stop.  The thing penetrating him was suddenly removed, followed soon after by the thing in his mouth.  He rested his cheek against the side of Lucifer's leg, crying.  Everything still hurt.  It was far better than the continued punishment, but every part of him clamored for attention, first his shoulders, then his abused wrists, which were still pinned behind him, then his legs, the muscles twitching with the memory of his struggles.  Whatever had held them pinned was gone, but he didn't have the energy to move.

"Shhh..." Lucifer said, stroking his hair.  "Just tell me what you learned, and this will all be over with."

For a second, his mind froze.  What he had learned?  That an angel could inflict as much pain and suffering as the Astrals did.  That even in this cell, that even with Lucifer, that there was no escape from it.  Then his mind lurched into motion, and he realized what Lucifer wanted.  He could barely breathe, but the thought of even more made him gasp the words out as quickly as he could.  His voice was an unsteady rasp.  "All I need to do... is what you tell me."

"Good."  His wrists were released.  The pain in his shoulders flared as he moved his arms to rest crossed over his head.  Still, the lingering ache was far better than enduring more of those shocks.

Lucifer stroked his back as he wept himself out.  Every touch made him flinch slightly, anticipating something less gentle.  He hadn't done anything wrong yet, though.  Unless Lucifer took his flinches as rejection.  The researchers hadn't cared about his reactions when they'd done their tests; there wasn't a wrong answer.  The idea of that was suddenly strangely comforting.

Why... had the researchers popped into his head at that moment?  Dark energy, he realized with a start.  That was what he had recognized.  Those shocks which had transfixed him hadn't been light-aspected.  They had been _dark-aspected._

But Lucifer couldn't handle dark energy.  The researchers had talked about how he was one of those angels who couldn't tolerate it.  It had been one of the few flaws in his design...

"What's wrong?" said the person who's lap he was sprawled over, the one who even now ran fingers down his back, the one who was not Lucifer and never had been.

His muscles had stiffened as he'd come to his realization, and that must have been what the imposter had picked up on.  He hesitated as he tried to think what to say or do.  He'd never been that good at lying.  Time pressed on him; he couldn't be silent for too long, or the imposter would notice.  He clenched his teeth together tightly, then said quietly, "You used dark energy on me."

The hand stroking him stilled, coming to rest in the small of his back.  Sandalphon's heart pounded in his chest.  Then the imposter spoke again, his voice a little lighter in tone.  "'I told you that they changed me...' is what I would say, but I think you wouldn't believe me at this point.  Ah... I'd hoped I could take this all the way.  The thought of you fighting Lucifer for the sake of an imposter, while thinking he was the imposter... it has a certain fascination to it, wouldn't you say?"

Sandalphon pushed himself up, half expecting the imposter to use the hand on his back to keep him down, but the imposter just let it slide off as Sandalphon pulled away.  _Why wouldn't he_ , Sandalphon thought sardonically.  They were in a cell where Sandalphon's powers were suppressed and the imposter's were untouched.  There was nowhere to run.  He sat a few feet away, trying to be nonchalant as his skin crawled.  He still ached all over.  "I can't see it," he said, staring into the face of the imposter.  It was still Lucifer's, but there was a dark sort of pleasure in his eyes that Sandalphon couldn't imagine Lucifer ever feeling.

"Are you sure you want to wake from this dream?  I can put you to use quite effectively.  And you'll find me very appreciative."  The imposter breezily waved a hand in the air.  "If you'd find it too hard to fight Lucifer directly... well, that'd be a disappointment, but I'm sure we could come to an accommodation."

"This dream where you abuse me like the scientists once did?  For some reason, I don't find that appealing."  He tried to match the imposter's casual tone, but he could hear his voice tremble slightly.

"I needed to keep you off-guard.  Prevent you from prying too deeply.  But now that the deception is over, you could find it a much more pleasant experience."  His voice suddenly changed, softened.  "I need you, Sandalphon.  I need your strength by my side.  You're the only one I can depend on to help me."

The words struck him to the core, even knowing that the one who said them was false.  He looked away, unable to stare into the imposter's gaze any longer while he pretended to be Lucifer.

"He'll never say those words to you," the imposter said, dropping the act once more.  "He can't even comprehend what you want from him.  His programming rules him completely."

Sitting next to Lucifer, their sides pressed together.  The gentle voice praising him.  He'd wanted to imagine those things were possible, but they had, indeed, been nothing more than a dream.  "Stop," Sandalphon said, balling his fists.  "I refuse."

"Perhaps I can be more persuasive than you think," the imposter said, his voice suddenly sweeter.

Sensing some unpleasant intent in those words, Sandalphon scrambled to his feet.  The imposter smiled and stood much more gracefully.  For a second, Sandalphon thought he had simply overreacted, but then something whipped out from behind the imposter's body and came directly at him.  It was a dark mottled purple and red, and he stumbled backwards as it wrapped itself around his midsection and lifted him easily off the ground.  The cool, slimy sensation made him shudder as he realized that was what the imposter had used on him earlier.  These tentacles had held him... been inside of him.

He dug his fingers into it, trying to pull it off, but it simply tightened around his ribs painfully.  Then four more emerged and captured his wrists and wrapped around his legs from the ankle to just below the knee.  His shoulders ached as his arms were relentlessly forced to full extension over his head and held there.  He swallowed through a mouth gone dry as the imposter strolled over to him.

"It's not my imagination, is it?  A researcher never touched you like that before.  Not deep inside like that.  Nor here," the imposter said, briefly fingering the limp organ between his legs.  "Such innocence.  I wonder if Lucifer met all of his creator's needs.  I should ask him sometime."

Sandalphon shut his eyes and turned his face away.  Thin fingers laid themselves along his right cheek, stroking downwards over his chin and down to his collarbone.  Then the hand traveled around to the back of his neck and slightly up to the base of the skull, the fingers resting there lightly.  It reminded Sandalphon of what he'd just endured, and he tensed, waiting for the first blow to fall.

"It's terribly unfair that you were abandoned like that, don't you think?  Let me show you what you've been missing."

"I don't think I need to know," Sandalphon said, his voice rasping slightly.

"I insist," the imposter said with a laugh, and his fingers stroked a little pattern on the back of Sandalphon's neck.

Sandalphon sucked in a breath as the sensations hit him.  It was like... the world suddenly came into focus.  The slightly chill air on his skin, brushing across his naked arms and legs.  The warmth of the hand on the back of his neck.  As the imposter slowly brushed his fingers down Sandalphon's chest, his skin tingled in their wake.

"You're such attractive tools, made to be pleasing to the eye.  Of course you could be satisfying, as well as useful."  Suddenly Sandalphon felt the imposter's breath against his ear.  "I'm sure they convinced themselves that by restricting this mode, they were reducing the possibility that you'd be distracted while performing your duties.  Though, if you ask me, I think they might have found a screaming, struggling target pleasant from time to time, too.  I do understand the appeal.  I should ask the other angels.  But this time, we're going to do something a little different."

Fingers captured his chin, tugged it so he was facing forward again.  He pressed his eyelids tightly shut, as if trying harder might make him see even less than nothing.

"Open your eyes for me, Sandalphon."  The imposter's voice was back to being Lucifer's gentle tones.

"No," he snapped back.

"It's only half as fun if you can't see me.  Hmm.  What was that angel's name?  The one you were punished for."

Sandalphon clenched his teeth together and minutely shook his head.

"If you don't listen to my little requests, then I'll bring her in here and tear her to pieces in front of you.  How does that sound?"

A vision of Riel, unconscious on the floor, crying out as he took her wings, flashed across his mind.  If it was worth the sacrifice, he would do it in a heartbeat... but what would that really change about his situation?  And he'd be deprived of her power as well, as little good it did him.  Slowly, he opened his eyes and glared into the imposter's smiling face.

The imposter stroked his cheek with a thumb.  "Very good, Sandalphon."

He trembled.  If only it were actually Lucifer saying those words.  He almost closed his eyes again, wanting nothing more than to shut out the vision in front of him, but the thought of Riel stopped him.  He looked down to the side, so at least Lucifer's face didn't fill his entire field of view.

The imposter's hands left his face, stroking the outside of his outstretched arms, first with the palms, then the tips of the fingers.  Sandalphon felt his muscles twitch as the sensations nearly overwhelmed him.  Every touch seemed to make him more sensitive for the next.  A warmth spread through his stomach and legs, and he felt the organ between his legs stiffen and stir.  The imposter grazed his nails across the skin on the inside of his arms and he threw his head back, pressing his lips tightly together.  Unable to stop himself, he desperately struggled against the tentacles holding his wrists.  The imposter's fingers wouldn't stop teasing him.  A deep groan escaped him as the sensation built, hovering on the edge between pleasure and pain.

When the imposter finally stopped, his straining muscles fell limp.  He breathed heavily.  Maybe it was over already.  He lifted his gaze from the floor, but the imposter was smiling at him, Lucifer's smile, but with a faint wickedness in the eyes.

"How perfect you are," Lucifer said, softly.

Not Lucifer.  An imposter.

The imposter placed two of the fingers of his hand on Sandalphon's lips, pressing gently.  Sandalphon responded by pressing his mouth tightly closed.  For that he received a disappointed look, and the imposter tapped his lips lightly.  "Open up for me."

He could hear the threat behind the words, though they were delivered in Lucifer's calm voice.  Reluctantly, he opened his mouth, just a bit.

The imposter thrust his fingers inside roughly, then bent them, forcing his mouth to open wider.  For a second he considered biting down, but the best he could hope for was that the imposter would be angry enough to stop... and what would that do for him?

"Those angry eyes.  What have I done to deserve such condemnation?"  The imposter ran a finger slowly down the center of his tongue, stroking it.  Sandalphon's breath quickened.  How could something so ridiculous feel good?  But he couldn't deny the shivers of pleasure which rippled through him, or the faint feeling of disappointment as the imposter pulled the fingers away.  His lips grazed them as they passed, and he realized that by reflex he'd tried to stop them from leaving.  Blood rose to his cheeks.  What was wrong with him?

"We've both wanted this for a long time," the imposter said, rubbing his thumb against the fingertips which had been inside of Sandalphon's mouth.  "You can't deny that you're enjoying it."

His hand cupped Sandalphon's shaft, rubbing his fingers up and down the length of it.  The sudden shock of feeling tore a brief cry from Sandalphon's throat before he stifled it behind closed lips.  He shook his head, desperately.  "Stop.  Please."

The imposter's other hand captured his chin and turned his head, and then Lucifer's lips were on his.  His lips parted as Lucifer's tongue demanded entry, and he gasped as another wave of pleasure rushed over him as Lucifer's tongue stroked his and Lucifer's fingers wrapped tightly around his shaft.  His legs parted wider, and he couldn't tell whether it was him or the tentacles holding him that had done it.  The sensations were too much for him.  All he wanted was to pull Lucifer closer, feel his hands on the other angel's back, in his hair, as Lucifer was even now doing to him.  As Lucifer's fingers grazed the base of his spine, he moaned and shuddered in pleasure.

Lucifer pulled his lips away, and Sandalphon leaned forward, trying to prolong the kiss as long as possible.  The imposter chuckled softly, and with a sudden rush, Sandalphon realized he'd been thinking of the imposter as Lucifer again.  It had to be some sort of trick.  "What are you doing to me?" Sandalphon demanded.

"I'm only giving you what you want," the imposter said with a smile.  "What you've always wanted."

"I don't want this!"

"Why must you lie to me, Sandalphon?"

Sandalphon jerked against the tentacles that held him still.  "Stop pretending to be him!  Stop... saying those things with his voice!"

If only Lucifer looked at him that way.  With his full attention.  Like Sandalphon was the only thing that mattered.

The imposter shucked his clothes and approached as Sandalphon struggled.  He cupped his hands around Sandalphon's face and looked into his eyes.  That gentle blue was as wide as the sky and as easy to drown in.  "I want to be with you forever.  I want you by my side," Lucifer said.

"Stop," Sandalphon whispered, but even he could tell that his heart wasn't in it.

This time, Lucifer's hands were relentless.  Every spot that provoked a reaction he touched, teasing and taunting until Sandalphon cried out.  Every time Sandalphon felt tension building in his stomach and legs, suddenly Lucifer would kiss him, or stroke his hair, minor things which kept his senses aroused but weren't enough to push him past the edge he could dimly feel ahead.  Nothing mattered but Lucifer and the pleasure he dispensed.  He barely noticed as the tentacles shifted him, tilting him backwards.  When he felt like he could take no more, Lucifer looked down at him with a gentle smile and said, "Say please."

It felt like something broke inside of him.  "Please," he said, the word echoing emptily.  He didn't know what he was asking for.  And distantly, he knew that it wasn't Lucifer that was asking.  But he couldn't bring himself to say 'stop' again.

And Lucifer thrust into him.

It felt entirely different from what had happened before.  There was a brief flash of pain as Lucifer stopped, but it hardly mattered compared to the feeling of being filled.  He groaned as something tugged on his shaft.  Then Lucifer pulled out, almost leaving him entirely.  He whimpered, wanting him back, and Lucifer thrust again.  It didn't take much to push Sandalphon over the edge, and he yelled as every muscle in his body tensed, released, and tensed again.  He closed his eyes, unable to bear the sensations cascading through him.  But Lucifer didn't stop.  Sandalphon shook, and trembled, feeling like he couldn't stand another moment, only to feel his muscles tighten once more and another unbearable wave of pleasure crash over him.  It seemed to last forever, a single point in space and time, frozen there.  And when he truly thought he could bear not a second more, Lucifer finally pulled away.  Suddenly he found himself standing, weak-kneed, his arms free, and he grabbed for the other angel, desperate for comfort.

"Shh," Lucifer whispered in his ear, holding him close.

The tentacles were gone, as if they had been figments of his imagination.  All that held him was Lucifer's arms.  He buried his face in Lucifer's neck, his breath still coming in short gasps, though slowing now as that transcendent experience drew further and further away.

It wasn't too late to pretend, he realized.  That was what this had all been about.  He could forget the tentacles, the dark energy, the other rebels.  The imposter wouldn't even force him to fight against Lucifer.  The Lucifer he wanted would always be right here, right by his side.  Wanting him.  Needing him.

The thought of saying no to that made his core feel like it might shatter.

Because the imposter was right.  Even if they somehow reconciled, even if the Astrals didn't come between them, Lucifer would never be what Sandalphon wanted him to be.  His purpose was too important to him, and Sandalphon would never even be able to understand what that felt like.  There would always be that distance between them.  This was the only chance he would ever have.

He drew a deep trembling breath, and pushed the imposter away.  He had to lock his knees to stay standing.  Weakness seemed to fill every inch of him.

What he had expected to see in the imposter's face was anger, or disappointment.  But apparently the imposter was done with pretending, because all Sandalphon found in his face was a dark amusement.  "You seemed to enjoy it so much.  Are you really sure?"

It was strange how easy the response was.  He had thought he'd have more doubt.  "Yes."  He forced his lips into a disdainful smile.  "You don't compare to him at all."

"Well, then I'll enjoy taking you apart and finding out how you work in detail."  The imposter took a step forwards and his form shuddered.  For a second Sandalphon thought he saw an amalgamation of tentacles and eyes where it stood, but it quickly faded into an Astral in a lab coat with an unnaturally wide smile.  A being from the Crimson Horizon, Sandalphon realized, as the pieces finally came together in his mind.  Blue eyes sparkled in that familiar, terrible face.  "I'm sure we'll have so much fun together."

Then, suddenly, the imposter tilted his head as if hearing something in the distance.  Without a word, he turned and walked towards the door.  Sensing this might be the last opportunity he would have, Sandalphon concentrated everything he had on watching what happened as the imposter left.  If he used the door this time, then Sandalphon would learn nothing, but if he slipped out however he'd been coming and going before then, perhaps...

This time he caught it.  Right when the imposter disappeared, he spotted a faint, jagged line of light about two hands' width from the frame and about hip height on the form the imposter was projecting.  He wanted to run to it immediately, but he took a deep breath and quieted his impatience.  It was best to let the thing get a little distance away before he tried to leave himself.  Instead he retrieved his clothes and put them back on, frowning as the jagged edges of his shirt dangled across his chest. The cloth on his skin felt different.  Slightly uncomfortable.  Rough.  He felt at the back of his neck, where the imposter had done... whatever he had done, but there was nothing odd or out of place.  Certainly nothing that Sandalphon could sense.  He'd hoped he could fix whatever the thing had done to him, but it seemed like that wasn't possible.  And while he was wishing for things he couldn't have, he thought with a bitter smile, he could wish for his armor and broadsword.

He'd never fought an Otherworldly Being.  That hadn't been his purpose.  He had no idea how he'd fare.  Did he need weapons, or would his powers be sufficient?  They'd have to be, he decided.  With some trepidation, he walked to the door and placed his hand on where he had seen the crack, reaching out with the dulled senses Riel's powers gave him.

There was nothing there.  He ran his fingers all over the stone near the door, and he couldn't find it there.  Perhaps it was only visible or usable by Otherworldly Beings... or perhaps Riel's powers were too weak.  Or maybe he had just been deluding himself that he could even use Riel's powers at all from the inside of a cell.  Panic rose within him.  If he was stuck here... then when that thing came back....

This wasn't going to help him.  Sandalphon took a step back from the door, taking a mental step back at the same time.  First, he held out his hand and summoned the light to it.  The aura which flickered into existence was faint, but definitely there.  He dismissed it immediately.  So, he did have access to Riel's powers.  Then why wouldn't they work on the crack?

He moved back in and stared carefully at where he thought the crack should be.  There was nothing physically wrong with the stone.  Channeling a little bit of light at it seemed to produce less effect than he thought it should, but there was no indication it did anything to the crack or the stone at all.  Perhaps... it had just been another illusion to mock him?  No.  If he thought that way, then he really would be stuck.  Trying lost him nothing.

Maybe... he was thinking about it wrong.  The light wasn't a way to move.  If an angel needed to pass through a wall, they teleported.  He pressed his hand firmly over where he thought the crack should be, and imagined himself on the far side of the wall, in the corridor he had passed through... likely just an hour or two ago.

When he appeared exactly where he had pictured, he had to lock his knees not to stumble as the relief washed over him.  Now he summoned the light, his light, and it came.  Rings etched in runic script appeared hovering over his hands, and he stared at them, mesmerized.  It had been hundreds of years.  He'd had a taste of it before when he was with Luc—the imposter, but his joy had been swiftly quashed.  This time... this time, he could do anything he wanted.  No one could stop him.

He startled, looking back and forth down the hall.  He hadn't even bothered to check whether the imposter was out here before letting himself get caught up in the feeling of freedom.  The walls stretched out around him, silent and empty, and he relaxed slightly.  At least, if the thing really came for him, he could put up a fight this time.  He wouldn't be helpless.

As he walked down the hall, in the direction he vaguely remembered as the way to the exit, he shivered slightly.  Pandemonium was cold, colder than he'd remembered.  The chill seemed to seep into his already aching muscles, making them stiffen until every movement was an effort of will.  His stomach, his throat, his core... they all hurt.  The pain waxed and waned, never reaching truly intolerable levels, but ensuring he didn't forget what had happened to him.  Why now?  Within a short hike's width of freedom, and he was tempted to curl up in a corner?  Nonsense.

Sandalphon hesitated next to the door to Riel's cell, placing his hand on it.  It didn't move at his touch.  He didn't know how to open the cells if they were locked, so he couldn't check on her.  She'd probably be fine if he kept the power for a little while longer, he told himself.  Angels were tough.  And he didn't know how much he'd need to win against that Otherworldly Being.  Riel's power could make the difference.

It already had made the difference.  It had gotten him out of the cell.

With a quiet sigh, he let the power go back to its owner, and continued down the hall.

 

As he emerged into the sunlight, he took a deep breath and stretched his arms out, then summoned his wings and stretched them out, too.  The outskirts of Pandemonium had changed since he had been locked within.  A thin covering of moss graced the nearby rock outcroppings.  The overall impression was still forbidding, but it somehow cheered him to see that little bit of life carving out a path forward even in such an unwelcoming place.  At the same time, it also reminded him of how long he'd been trapped inside.  He could attribute some of the difference in the landscape to the softening effect of the moss on the rocks, but if he let himself really think about what he remembered versus what he saw now, it was clear that the island had been worn down over time.  That sort of change took centuries.

He stared up into the beautiful blue sky, hazed with gauze thin clouds that didn't blunt the sun's heat at all, and narrowed his eyes.  Off in the distance... just at the edge of where he could see... there was a dark stain on the sky.

_He came outside_ , Sandalphon thought with a chill.  Without realizing it he'd already taken a step backwards towards the door of Pandemonium.  He'd hoped that the Otherworldly Being might have gone deeper into Pandemonium, that what had caught the thing's attention was in the Crimson Horizon and not in the Sky Realm.  Obviously, he'd been mistaken.  The thought that he could have come upon it at any time... that it could have sensed him following and set a trap.... He realized he'd unconsciously folded his wings tightly against his back.

But what would hiding get him?  He glanced over his shoulder at the entrance to Pandemonium, then up to that nebulous figure in the sky.  What was he going to do, return to his cell and patiently wait for that thing to dissect him?

His hands trembled, but he extended his wings as far as he could, until the tendons and muscles ached.  "I won't be afraid," he told himself quietly.  He launched himself into the air with a flick of will.  As he rose, he thought... if he steered clear of the imposter... perhaps visited the old lab... if Lucifer didn't find him, and capture him again... perhaps he could find a weapon before he challenged the Otherworldly Being directly....  That might be the best option.

But then he realized that the figure in the distance was now recognizable.  It was coming his way.  He could still turn and run, but not knowing the thing's true capabilities, he didn't want to let it have his back.  The imposter must have seen him rising from Pandemonium -- silhouetted against the blue sky with wings outstretched, in retrospect, had been a little obvious.  But it had been centuries since he'd last been outside, and he had no reference frames for teleporting anywhere he might want to go.  Instinctively he reached behind his back for his sword, but the scabbard wasn't even there anymore, let alone the blade.  He clenched his teeth; how could he be so stupid?  He'd even thought about trying to get a weapon a moment ago!  He took a deep breath and let light pool in his hands.  If that was the only thing he had, then it would have to be enough.

As the imposter came within a few hundred yards, his form shifted.  The dark aura which had cradled him wavered and disappeared.  The one who approached Sandalphon was Lucifer, his six perfect white wings glowing faintly in the sunlight, his expression gentle and welcoming.  It turned Sandalphon's stomach to know what lay beneath.

"You don't have to pretend for my sake," he said, and regretted it.  He'd wanted to sound dismissive, but his discomfort was clear in how his voice wavered.

Lucifer's eyes widened slightly.  "Pretend?  What are you talking about, Sandalphon?  What are you doing outside of Pandemonium?"

His hand lifted before he even thought about it, the light swelling in his palm.  The power pulsed with his anger.  His palm tingled as the overflow threatened to sear his skin.  How dare it try the same tricks with him again?  He extended his hand, ready to blow the thing to pieces, only to meet Lucifer's confused blue eyes.

_What if it isn't the imposter?  What if I was just imagining that dark aura, expecting that it was the Otherworldly Being out here and not the real Lucifer?_   The light in his hands sputtered out as his doubt clawed at his resolve.

It was in that moment of weakness that the tentacles lashed out.  They whipped around him, pinning his arms to his side and drawing him closer to the imposter.  Fear bubbled up inside of him as he struggled wildly, his wings flailing.

_Not again.  Not again!_

"I forgot about those," the imposter said with a low chuckle, and two more tentacles appeared, wrapping tightly around his wings.  They tightened around them and pulled.  Sandalphon screamed as it felt like they were both being crushed and nearly ripped from his back.  "Maybe I should have had you call them out before?  What a beautiful response."

The pressure on his wings eased slightly, and it was enough to let him think past the pain.  He gasped for air, and the agony which he had been steadfastly ignoring from what the thing had done to him in his cell seemed to have lit up within him again.  His bones creaked as the tentacles around his body tightened just a little bit more.  The imposter was staring into his face with a pleased expression.

"You simply couldn't wait to continue where we left off?  Having second thoughts about my offer?"

"Never," Sandalphon spat, but there was hardly any air behind it.  Every time he exhaled it felt like the tentacles tightened, leaving him less space for the next breath.

The imposter stroked his cheek with his thumb.  "It's fine if you need some time to think about it, you know.  I'm sure you found the experience overwhelming.  Though... if you need me to reprise my performance, I'm sure I could oblige."  The thumb reached his lips and pressed lightly.  "Particularly if you begged.  You're adorable when you say 'please'.  I can't imagine why Lucifer never took advantage of you."

"He's nothing like you," Sandalphon whispered.

"I thought that was the problem," the imposter replied, with an unnaturally wide grin.  He cradled Sandalphon's face in his hands.  When Sandalphon tried to pull free, the fingers dug into his cheeks hard enough to hurt.  "It's tempting to keep you after all.  Maybe we both need a little time to think about what we really want.  I should put you back in your cell... or perhaps somewhere else.  How did you get out?"

_Out._   The word echoed in his mind as his frantic struggle to breathe and the pain threaded white hot through his body seemed to retreat into the distance.  He was out.  He wasn't in the cell anymore; he had his power back now.  When he didn't respond immediately, the imposter twisted his wings.  The scream burst out of him, but he tenaciously clung to the train of thought as the pain spilled over him.  When it ebbed, he stared into the imposter's face.  Furrowed brow.  Underneath the mask, a hint of fear.  This was _playacting_.  They weren't in the cell anymore, but the imposter was acting like they were.  Trying to make him forget that he wasn't helpless.

Sandalphon didn't bother with his hands this time.  Instead, he called the light to his entire body.  As the aura rose around him, he cried out.  With all the punishment he'd taken in the last day, and now with the damage to his wings, the power rushing through him burned.  But it answered his call.  The tentacles tightened for a moment, and he gritted his teeth and fought desperately not to scream again.  But then they loosened and fell away.  He didn't waste a moment, backing up while calling up even more power into his hands.

The imposter's glamour shimmered, then faded.  What replaced Lucifer was a vaguely conical mass of disorganized purple flesh, with hands, tentacles, eyes, and glowing red horns scattered across it, as if some force had taken several angels and mashed them together, and the result had been given some unnatural life.  Several of the tentacles were obviously burned, steam rising from them.  The thing groaned... and then fled.

Sandalphon was caught off guard.  He stared after it for a moment, trying to process what was happening.  It could be another trick -- but as the distance grew, his certainty grew with it.  The thing was afraid of him.  He hesitated for a moment.  He'd never attacked a fleeing target before.  Never been faced by a fleeing target before, actually.  The rebellion had been so one-sided.  The Astrals and the loyal angels had simply overwhelmed them.  But somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that it was considered unfair to strike a combatant down when their back was turned.

But this was an Otherworldly Being.  The amount of damage it could cause if he let it go free was unimaginable.  It had already hurt him... and hurt or disabled several of the other rebels.  And it didn't want to fight a fair battle.

He lifted his hands above his head, feeling everything hurt as he channeled every ounce of power he had.  A brilliant ring formed itself above him, a pale, ghostly blue-white.  He shuddered as he let it build, the light gaining solidity and brilliance until he had to squint his eyes and look away.  His gaze fixed on the target in the distance, and as he felt the ring pulse once as it reached completion, he let go.

Brilliant rays streaked out from the halo, lancing out across the distance.  They were almost invisible in the bright sunlight, but he could see the effects as they struck the fleeing Otherworldly Being.  As the rays struck, they flared wildly, a crescendo of explosions of light, and he heard a distant, lingering scream.  And when it faded, there was nothing left.

Sandalphon hugged his arms around his chest and stared at the spot where the thing had disappeared.  It was the first time he had ever killed.  It seemed so... ridiculous.  Empty.  Should he feel more satisfaction?  Would he have felt better if it was his purpose to kill Otherworldly Beings?

"Sandalphon."

The voice made him nearly startle out of his skin.  He flared his wings, felt pain shoot through them, and tried to tuck them again.  It only made it worse.  He turned his head to find the source, and...

Lucifer.

He flinched, tried to summon his power, and found only flickers left to answer his call.  If he'd failed to destroy the Otherworldly Being; if this was it, just playing games again, or if it was another one, here to pick up where the first one left off, he couldn't stop it this time.  He edged backwards, warily.

"Have no fear," Lucifer said gently.  He stayed where he was, several arms' lengths away, his hands hanging loosely at his side.  "I am no imposter."

Sandalphon's heart leapt in his chest, but he gritted his teeth and forced his hope down.  "Forgive me if I don't find that convincing."  And even if it was Lucifer, the last time they had met was on opposite sides of a battlefield.  The last thing he wanted -- or was capable of -- was another fight, but no matter whether this was another imposter or the real Lucifer, that might be what happened.

Lucifer's gaze was filled with sadness.  "I understand.  I heard your conversation with the Key."

"And you did nothing?!"  Sandalphon's voice nearly cracked.  "Isn't that your _purpose_?  To handle these sorts of things?  And yet you leave me to clean up your mess?!"

Lucifer held a hand out to his side, and a tiny Virtue Core emerged from behind him and settled atop it.  While the lower angels had no obvious means of showing emotion, its tiny shifts back and forth above Lucifer's palm conveyed anxiety.  "I had sent this one ahead to observe for me, but I was unable to come immediately.  When I realized the severity of the situation, I came as soon as I could, but you finished him right before I arrived.  I... am truly sorry."

He didn't need Lucifer's apologies.  "So, then, what now?  Dump me back in my cell?"  He laughed, but it was low and bitter.  "I'm sure another Otherworldly Being wouldn't wriggle out of the hole the last one came through, right?  But what else are you going to do with a rebel?  Better check the rest of the cells while you're at it, I'm not sure how many of us are left."

"The Astrals are gone," Lucifer said, quietly.  "Do you still have anything to rebel against?"

That silenced him.  He stared at Lucifer, turning the concept over in a mind gone numb.  The Astrals had been everything; how was there a world left, with the Astrals gone?  By reflex, he wanted to say, "the loyalists," or "you," but what would starting a fight with the rest of the angels accomplish with no Astrals standing behind them?  The experiments were over.  The only thing he'd get out of it was vengeance, and he'd already found that it wasn't as sweet a taste as he'd thought.  "What would be the point?" he finally said, listlessly.

The sun was still shining brightly, the blue sky still stretched out into the distance, but it suddenly felt so empty.  Perhaps the rebellion hadn't been his purpose, but it had been a purpose, and it had filled the void within him.  Now that it was gone, he had... what?  Everything hurt, his power was exhausted, and his skin crawled with the memory of the thing's touch.  With time, these things would pass.  But what awaited him on the far side of that?  Nothing.  He might as well just crawl back into his cell and let himself fall into an endless slumber.

Suddenly, there was a hand resting on his shoulder.  For a moment, terror transfixed his mind.  Caught off-guard again?  But the tenor of this touch was different.  Lucifer was touching him, yes, but there was a hint of restraint, a sense of mild discomfort about it, as if at any moment either of them might pull away.  He felt a tremble building in his chest and he knew he couldn't stand this sort of contact for very long.  It was too similar to what the Otherworldly Being had done.  But this was Lucifer attempting to comfort him, and it lit the tiniest spark of hope in his heart.

When he couldn't bear it any longer, he brushed Lucifer's hand away.  He kept his gaze fixed on the other angel's chest as he muttered, "Thank you."

"There's a small island, far out of the way of anything," Lucifer said after a few moments.  "There's work to be done there, but none of it is urgent.  If you want to intervene, you can.  If you don't, it's a peaceful place where you can rest for a while."

Several sharp responses popped into his mind, but he bit his lip and left them there.  Peace, quiet, and something to occupy him if he felt like it was exactly what he needed.  He did say, however, "I assume that you'll be keeping an eye on me."

"Do you want me to visit?"

It was a carefully phrased way of asking "do you want to know I'm there or not?"  Sandalphon couldn't entirely hold back a sardonic smile, and he finally met Lucifer's gaze again.  "We can share a cup of coffee from time to time."

Lucifer's brows knit briefly in confusion, but then he nodded.  "Very well, then."  He held out a hand.  Sandalphon placed his own hand atop it.  And in the next moment, the only thing left in the skies over Pandemonium was the sun, the clouds, and the endless blue sky.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this months ago and there have been several new things revealed (plus the impending new event), but... well, it is what it is.


End file.
